Former Winnipeg city official and convicted serial bank robber Klaus Burlakow has failed in his attempt to have his sentence reduced.

The former senior manager with the city of Winnipeg was sentenced to eight years for robbing six banks in Winnipeg and another in Vancouver between November 2002 and February 2003.

Monday morning in the Manitoba Court of Appeal, Burlakow's lawyer argued his client should have his sentence reduced to five years.

Klaus Burlakow (file photo)
Klaus Burlakow (file photo)

The Crown, however, pointed to a technical error in Burlakow's sentence, saying the judge calculated incorrectly and it should have been 10 years.

In the end, the court sided with the Crown and changed the sentence to 10 years, with two years' credit for time served. In effect, his sentence remains unchanged.

Since he is a first-time offender, Burlakow could serve as little as one-sixth of his sentence.

U.S. authorities have also issued a warrant for Burlakow's arrest. He is charged with robbing a bank in Washington State in January 2003.

Burlakow likely wouldn't be extradited to face those charges until he's completed his sentence for the Canadian robberies.